Music-leaf turner



No Mode H. & R. HAMMOND. MUSIC LEAP TURNER.

No. 582,586. Patented May 11,1897.

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ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

HIRAM HAMMOND AND ROBERT HAMMOND, OF LAKE GEORGE, NEXV YORK, ASSIGNORSTO EDXVIN R. ZIEBAOH, EUGENE A. BENTON, CHANDLER A. EST, AND HARRY O.NOYES, OF OALD\VELL, NEW YORK.

MUSIO-LEAF TURNER.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 582,586, dated May 11,1897.

Application filed January 4, 1897. Serial No. 617,912. (No model.)

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, I'IIRAM HAMMOND and ROBERT HAMMOND, of Lake George,in the county of \Varren and State of New York, have invented a new and,Improved Music- Leaf Turner, of which the following is a full, clear,and exact description.

The object of the invention is to construct a device especially adaptedfor the turning of the leaves of music, which device will be of simple,durable, and economic construction and will be entirely independent ofthe instrument in connection with which it is used.

A further object of the invention is to pro vide a means whereby all ofthe leaves, after they have been turned, may be simultaneously restoredto their original position, and whereby, further, any one leaf may beexpeditiously and conveniently turned, the turn.- ing being effectedwithout interfering to any material extent with the rendition of themusic by the performer.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combination of theseveral parts, as will be hereinafter fully set forth, and pointed outin the claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part ofthis specification, in which similar characters of reference indicatecorresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the improved device. Fig. 2 is ahorizontal section taken above the frame of the device and through oneof the drums carrying the leafturning arm. Fig. 8 is a vertical sectionthrough the upper portion of the frame, showin g the arrangement of thecatches; and Fig. 4 is a vertical section through the drums, to whichthe music-carrying arms are attached.

The frame A of the device is preferably of rectangular shape, althoughit may be given other contour. Between the top and bottom rails ormembers of the frame a horizontal bar 10 is located, and upon said bar,within a recess made in its front central portion, a clamp 11 islocated, and a second clamp 12 is similarly placed at the top of theframe.

Between the horizontal cross-bar 10 and the bottom of the frame amovable table 13 is located within said frame, the said table beingpreferably provided at its ends with tongues 14, which extend intovertical slots or open ings 15 made in the sides of the frame, as shownparticularly in Fig. 1. The table 13 is held in position to support ashort or a long piece of music or a book by means of springarms 16,which are attached to its ends, one end of each arm being arranged toenter any one of a number of openings or apertures 1.7 made in the sidemembers of the frame, as is also shown in Fig. 1. Ears 18 are secured inthe bottom portion of the frame A, and in each car a key 19 is pivoted,the said keys being preferably placed diagonally of the frame, and therear ends of the keys are free, as are likewise their forward ends.

A shaft 20 or a stud is secured, preferably at its lower end, in thecross-bar 10, and the said shaft or stud extends upward through andbeyond the top of the frame A, and at the left-hand side of the frame arod 21 is socured upon its upper surface, extending beyond its left-handside.

The right-hand side bar of the frameis carried above the top of theframe, and a back plate or board 22 is secured to an extension of theright-hand side bar of the frame and to the top of the frame. A seriesof springcatches 23 is secured to this back board, and these catches arearranged one below the plane of the other and likewise one at theleft-hand side of the other. In fact, the spring-catches 23 are stepped,and each spring-catch 23 is provided with a head 2%, the heads having adownward and forward inclination, and a shoulder is formed by the backof the head at the forward end of the body of the springcatch to whichthe head is secured, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3.

Each spring-catch is connected by a rod 25, made of wire or othermaterial, or a chain or its equivalent, with the rear end of one of thekeys 19, so that when the forward end of a key is pressed upward thespring-catch with which it is connected will be drawn downward at itsfree end or the end at which the head is located.

011 the upper portion of the shaft or stud 20 a series of hollow drums26 is located. These drums are placed one above the other and are spaceda predetermined distance apart, and each drum has independent move--ment. Each drum contains a spring 27, and these springs are secured tothe shaft or stud 20 at one of their ends and are attached at theiropposite ends to the interior portion of the drum in which they arecontained, as illustrated in Fig. 4:.

Each drum is provided with an arm 28. These arms are graduated inlength, the uppermost arm being the longest and the lowermost arm beingthe shortest, and the uppermost arm is adapted to engage the uppermostspring-catch 23 and the lowermost arm the lowermost catch, as shown inFig. 1. These arms are normally forced over the heads of the catches andare held in engagement therewith by contacting with the vertical orshouldered portion of the head, and the arms below the uppermost arm arebent outward and forward to a predetermined extent, the outward orforward bend being increased in each of the lowermost arms. Therefore inthe lowest arm 28 the outward bend is much more decided than in the armnext to the top, and each arm 28 carries at its free end, which isdownwardly projected, a clamp 29, preferably spring'controlled, butwhich may be of any desired construction, and these clamps, or clips, asthey may be called, are adapted one for engagement with the upper edgeof each leaf of music or each leaf of a book 13 that is supported on thetable 13 of the device, the back of the book or sheet of music beingheld between the clips or clamps 11 and 12, attached to the frame.

A band 30, of rubber or a like material, is attached to the right-handside of the frame at the front, and this rubber band or elastic isadapted to be passed over the last sheet of the music or over the backof the book or the leaf of the book next to the back, so that when theleaves at the front are turned the back of the book or the last leaf ina piece of music will not be moved from its position on the frame.

A yoke 32 is pivoted upon the upper portion of the shaft or stud 20 andis preferably pivoted also upon the said shaft or stud below thelowermost drum 26. This yoke is provided with an an gle-arm 33, which isadapted to extend outward beyond the side of the frame, as shown bypositive and dotted lines in Fig. 1.

In the operation of the device, the musicleaf turner having been placedin position 011 the instrument and the leaves having been attached tothe clamps or clips 29, when a leaf is to be turned it is simplynecessary to carry the hand upward and strike the outer end of one ofthe keys 1t), whereupon the inner end of that key will be depressed, andthe catch 23, connected with the key, will be drawn downward, releasingthe m usic-carryin g arm 28, held by the said catch, and the spring 27in the drum connected with that arm will immediately act to throw thatarm from the right to the left hand side of the frame, carrying thesheet of music in the same direction.

Prior to turning any of the sheets of music the an gle-arm 33 is takenover to the left-hand side of the frame, and this angle-arm is primarilyadapted to carry the arms attached to the sheets of music to theright-hand side of the machine and to an engagement with theirrespective catches. The device is exceedingly simple, it is durable andeconomic, and may be used in connection with a music-stand or amusic-rack on a piano or other instrument.

Having thus described our invention, we claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent- 1. A music-leaf turner having a frame providedwith two horizontal bars, one located at the top of the frame and onelocated intermediately on the frame, each horizontal bar having a notchin its front edge, a clasp scoured within each notch and adapted to holdthe inner portions of the leaves of music, a table located below theintermediate horizontal bar and having reduced ends slidable in verticalslots in the side of the frame,the table being adapted to engage thelower edges of the music-leaves, a spring-arm carried at each end of thetable,the arms proj ecting upwardly from the table and bearing againstthe frame to hold the table at various positions, and means on the framefor turning the leaves, substantially as described.

2. A music-leaf turner having a frame with side portions and twohorizontal bars, the bars being located one at the upper end of theframe and one intermediately on the frame, the forward edge of eachhorizontal bar beiu g notched and the lower part of each side portion ofthe frame having slots, a table the ends of which are reduced to lit theends of the slots whereby the table is slidable vertically on the frame,a spring-arm secured to each reduced end of the table and projectingupwardly therefrom to engage the sides of the frame, the sides having aseries of verticallyalined perforations receiving the spring-arms, andleaf-turning devices carried by the frame, substantially as described.

lllRAM HAMMOND. ROBERT HAMMOND. \Vitnesses:

EUGENE A. DENTON, EPP J. Wool).

